F-22 Crashed

Sam Or I · Post by **Sam Or I** » 2004-12-21 03:54pm

Category: News & Opinion (General) Topic: News & Current Events
Synopsis:
Source: www.klas-tv.com
Published: December 20, 2004 Author: Brian Allen
For Education and Discussion Only. Not for Commercial Use.

Brian Allen, Reporter

Nellis Jet Crash Under Investigation

(Dec. 20) -- The pilot of a Raptor stealth fighter managed to eject Monday afternoon shortly before the jet crashed at Nellis Air Force Base.

The pilot's name and condition were unavailable. The pilot was taken to Mike O'Callghan Federal Hospital for evaluation.

The F/A-22 Raptor crashed about 3:45 p.m. on a Nellis runway. A huge cloud of black smoke could be seen across the valley.

The aircraft, considered the Air Force's premier fighter, was assigned to the 422 Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis. The accident is under investigation. The Nellis runway is currently closed. The Thunderbirds had to be diverted to McCarran International Airport in order to land.

This is the second crash involving a fighter in about six weeks at Nellis. A single-seat F-18 went down Nov. 9 about 15 miles north of the base. The pilot of that aircraft also managed to eject.

The Raptor crash comes at a critical time for the costly F/A-22 program, which is in operational trials intended to lead to deployment with combat units.

The F/A-22 Raptor, intended primarily as a stealthy replacement for the F-15 Eagle, was built to shoot down other planes. Unlike its predecessor, the F/A-22 can fly at supersonic speeds for long ranges.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-12-21 04:12pm

Its not the first F-22 crash, it won't be the last. That's why aircraft to account for projected 'attrition' are part of every major aircraft procurement program.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-12-21 04:30pm

Indeed how many A-10s have we had crash? Usually due to some numb nuts trying to fly it like it's an F-16 or something.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-12-21 04:34pm

frigidmagi wrote:Indeed how many A-10s have we had crash? Usually due to some numb nuts trying to fly it like it's an F-16 or something.

Yeah, but in relative terms, that's only like crashing a VW Jetta compared to a Ferrari 612. Guys that crash F/A-22s won't be too loved by the bean counters.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-12-21 04:43pm

frigidmagi wrote:Indeed how many A-10s have we had crash? Usually due to some numb nuts trying to fly it like it's an F-16 or something.

I don't think there have been very many A-10 crashes, espically when you consider the lack of an automatic pilot until recently and all the low level missions it flies. Though it matters less with that aircraft anyway, since its needed only a few upgrades to remain effective, and so we can easily haul surplus ones out of the bone yard and put them back into service if need be. Try doing that with say an early model F-16A/B of similar vintage and it would jut be a waste of money to upgrade it to current standards.

Though of course you only need to do that once the allotted supply of attrition aircraft runs out, and even then there are generally some aircraft which go brand new into war stocks, to be used as replacements only in war (they are maintained in a way that they can be put into service much more quickly then the typical multi month process of taking a plane out of the bone yard). Though I don't think that's being done with aircraft programs since the end of the cold war.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2004-12-21 04:55pm

Ot : - Isn't Nellis "Area 51"?

Atleast the pilot survived.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2004-12-21 05:18pm

To be expected, I doubt any major combat aircraft goes operational without wrecking a few prototypes first. At least the F22 had better timing than JAS 39.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-12-21 05:35pm

Zac Naloen wrote:Ot : - Isn't Nellis "Area 51"?

No. Nellis is an Airfoce Base used for advanced testing, sorta a counterpart to Edwards back East. Area 51 or Groom Lake is close by, but somewhat further inland.

Atleast the pilot survived.

FA/22 Ejector Seat. *ticks Operational*

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-12-21 06:01pm

Keep trying. Nellis is a few miles from Vegas.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-12-21 06:15pm

Howedar wrote:Keep trying. Nellis is a few miles from Vegas.

Thats what I said...Groom Lake is roughly 100 miles North of Vegas.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-12-21 06:16pm

Nevada is not "back East".

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-12-21 06:17pm

Nellis is from what I understand also more of the 'gateway' to Area 51. It controls the airspace around Groom Lake, keeping unauthorised people away long before they get close.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-12-21 06:18pm

Howedar wrote:Nevada is not "back East".

I sit corrected

I MEANT North, don't know why I said East.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-12-21 06:27pm

Let's see if I can get this to work.

Nellis

and pretty much straight north

Groom Lake

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2004-12-22 02:26am

Nellis sits between the City of Las Vegas, and the City of North Las Vegas.

The city surronds the base on 3 sides. You can see massive fuel tanks from craig road.

Groom lake is contained within a section of land called the Nellis Flight Range, if I recall correctly. This consists of mostly empty desert to the north east of the city.

Most fighter craft deploy from the city area of the base. The crash was vissble from certain areas of the city, there are pictures in the paper of the rear stabalizers.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2004-12-22 02:29am

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2004-12-22 02:35am

My mistake, the base is only surounded on two sides.